As recriminations continue over whose fault it is that Democrats lost the Senate one potential positive is Hillary Rodham Clinton will be able to run full-out against the ultra-conservative Congress.
When as many believe she will announce her candidacy for President in the beginning of 2015 she will be helped by the likes of senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the current incarnation of the late Senator Joseph McCarthy (D-WI), who was quoted in the Washington Post saying "The first order of business should be a series of hearings on President Obama, looking at the abuse of power, the executive abuse, the regulatory abuse, the lawlessness that sadly has pervaded this administration." The Post went on to write "When Cruz was asked if he would back Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for Republican leader, Cruz would not pledge his support -- an indication that there are limits to how much of a partner he's willing to be."
When Hillary Clinton lays out her vision for America it will be in sharp contrast to what Republican members of Congress believe. Her vision will include full and equal participation by women in every part of American society; and an immigration policy that lays out a path for citizenship for those already here and allows their children to be educated. Her vision will include rebuilding America's infrastructure and providing decent high paying jobs for all Americans. It will include ensuring a strong and robust foreign policy that uses all the tools available to a President, from diplomacy and economic sanctions to understanding that having the best military in the world is a deterrent but that a President must be willing to use it as a last resort if all else fails. Her vision for America includes ensuring that every child has the chance to grow up and reach their full potential and that everyone including women, minorities and LGBT Americans have their full civil and human rights.
That vision will be in sharp contrast to Republicans of all stripes in both houses of Congress who will be offering hearings and recriminations instead of the action voters want. They will be offering 'personhood' amendments and trying to take away healthcare from millions of Americans who now have it through the Affordable Care Act. Americans will hear Hillary's vision and then see that their representatives in Washington aren't able to work together and are failing to solve issues such as immigration, raising the minimum wage, ensuring affordable healthcare for all Americans, and guaranteeing that our veterans, the brave men and women who fought for our nation, are taken care of. Voters will see a Congress continuing to try to give tax breaks to the rich instead of working to ensure that Medicare and Social Security are viable far into the future for them and their children. They will contrast Hillary's vision for the nation with what Congress is doing, or not doing, and come to the conclusion that the new Republican majority isn't focused on the things that will make their lives better and the bloom will be off the rose very quickly.
Many are confident that rational people understand while there was a Republican wave there still aren't enough Tea Party votes to override a Presidential veto and no ultra-conservative legislation will become law. Republicans will end up getting the blame for continuing the stalemate in Washington and 2016 when Republicans will have to defend 24 seats in the Senate and Democrats only 10 will have a different outcome.
So ready-or-not the 2016 Presidential campaign officially began on November 5, 2014. In less than three months the year-long speculation about whether or not Hillary will run will come to an end.
If Hillary announces she begins with an advantage far surpassing anything people thought she had in 2008 when she first ran. Today there is no other candidate like Barack Obama waiting in the wings. Those trying to turn Elizabeth Warren into that candidate are stymied because she is a very smart woman and realizes she isn't ready and can't win. She has an important message which we must heed and is a good Senator with the potential to become a great one.
The Ready for Hillary PAC which is continuing to raise money to expand the package they will turn over to Hillary's campaign provides the kind of head start that no candidate has ever had. They have nearly 3 million current email addresses of supporters across the nation, thousands in every state, and a list of 100,000 active donors, with new donors and emails being added daily. There has never been anything like it in the history of politics and Hillary can thank Adam Parkhomenko and Allida Black who founded the organization for the incredible advantage she will have when she jumps into the race.
There are millions of people Ready for Hillary who believe she will shortly say she is ready to answer their call and begin the journey that will result in her being inaugurated the nation's 45th and first woman President of the United States on January 20, 2017.